Overwork is a pervasive form of violence...

Loved this quote in a vacation auto reply I received:

There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence (and that is) activism and overwork....The rush and pressure of modern life are a form of violence.

To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence.

The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our won work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.

Thomas Merton

And on a more humorous note, the same day I read the above, I also read 'We have a winner -- best out of office auto reply I've seen in a while...'

I'll be unplugged this weekend (as usual) when I hike. This always clears the cobwebs for me - as it did for John Muir:

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

John Muir

What are your plans for unplugging? In the spirit of John Muir, you might consider a National Park visit - this year they are offering free entry on July 18-19 and August 15-16 - saving you $20/ car at Yosemite, for instance.